FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of wireless local area network 100 in the prior art. Wireless local area network 100 comprises access point 101, telecommunication stations (i.e., “stations”) 102-1 through 102-K, wherein K is a positive integer, and stations 103-1 through 103-L, wherein L is a positive integer. Stations 102-1 through 102-K and stations 103-1 through 103-L are typically used by host computers to allow communications between host computers or between host computers and other systems (e.g., printer servers, email servers, file servers, etc.). Wireless local area network 100 operates in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 set of protocols.
Together, stations 102-1 through 102-K and access point 101 form an “infrastructure network.” Stations 102-1 through 102-K communicate with access point 101 while in what is called an “infrastructure mode.” In fact, while operating in infrastructure mode, stations 102-1 through 102-K can communicate with each other only through access point 101. Access point 101 essentially acts as a communications coordinator for stations 102-1 through 102-K. Furthermore, access point 101 acts as a bridge to an extended infrastructure other than wireless local area network 100 for stations 102-1 through 102-K.
Stations 103-1 through 103-L communicate directly with each other and do not communicate with access point 101. They form what is called an “independent network.”